Questions are a tool of a true leader.
Not your questions to other people. (Although asking questions is a useful and necessary tool.) True level five leaders encourage, invite and genuinely desire questions for the people they leader, their peers and the people they report to.
I’m not talking about just asking for any questions as a cursory action at the end of a meeting to appear accessible, but everyone knows you don’t really mean it. I am referring to the desire to really put your thinking and your decisions to the test. The necessity to put your head above the parapet and examine truly allow others to examine your thinking. The kind of questions that really dig and show up any flaws or blind spots in your plans. Questions that may actually highlight mistakes and hold a mirror up to your knowledge and abilities.
“No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.”
Charles P. Steinmetz
The best leaders not only accept questions, but actively invite questions because they truly want to put thinking and ideas to review and pressure and peer assessment.
True leaders, the ones that make a difference, the ones we look up to do not fear questions. True leaders know that allowing others to question us is how we improve our decisions, our actions, ourselves.
To get better at what you do seek out questions from others.
How to you go about validating your thinking?